Improved street-railway car



Patented Feb. a, 1870.

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aient @Bitti/1:12.

MAHLO-N P. TURNER, OF 'DES MOINES,.IWA.

Letters Patent N 99,732, dated February 8,1870.

IMPROVE!) STREET-RAILWAY CAR.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part ofthe same.

To all lwhom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAHLONILTURNER, of ,Des Moines, in the county of Polk, andin the State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvement in Railroad or Street-Gars; and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making part ot' this specification.

The nature of my invention consists in the construction of a street railroad car, to run upon a single rail, said car being provided with two or more. double-flanged rollers or wheels, in combination with outer acting wheels beneath springs, which last wheels are without flanges, and run upon the ground, as more fully hereinafter set forth. l

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make. and use the same, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, referring tothe annexed drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation, and

Figure i2, a' bottom view oi' my car.

Figure 3 is an end view oi' one of the side wheels, showing the manner of attaching the same. Y

The car which I have represented in the'annexed drawings is open on all sides, butit may of course be enclosed, the same as any ordinary railroad-car, and iinished ott' in any suitable manner.

A represents the bottom of the car, which is provided with a slot or opening running lengthwise through the centre for a suitable distance. i

Above this slot, on top ofthe bottom A, is secured a casing, B, in which are placed two large wheels c c, one in iront oi' the other. rlhe axles of these wheels may be placed any desired height above the bottom A, the higher the better, only leaving thc necessary space between the bottom oi' the car andthe road-bed.

rlhe main wheels C C are provided with ilanges, such as are used on ordinary can wheels, except that there is one ilauge on each side ofthe \vl|eel,and the single line of rails necessary ts between said flanges, said wheels therefore guiding the car and sustaining the principal part of the burthen.

On each side of the car is placed a bearing-wheel, D, mounted upon an axle or journal extending outward from a vertical bar, E, upon the top of which is secured a spring, G.

Along the side of the car is secured a bar, H, which rests upon the ends ofthe spring G.

The bars E E on each side of the car are connected by a rod, I, passing'under the bottom A between the wheels C C.

The side-wheels D D, with springsG G, properly adjusted, assistedA by the double flange upon the wheels- C C, operate as a lever power to hold the burtllen of the car and contents on the central wheels, and sustaining themselves bnt little of the burthen, and that only at intervals. Y

The design is, when the car is on the track and properly balanced, that the side-wheels shall merely touch the surface ofthe ground, when the springs are sustaining little or no weight. 4

The seats` J J are so placed against the casing B, enclosing the mainrwheels, so that the passengers will tend to balance the car and rest as near as possible to the central line of the car, t-he space between the casing B and the top of the carto be'nsed for such packages as may be necessary to convey.

.The bra-ke J is pivoted within the casing B, betweenthe wheels G C, and extends-far enough above and below the pivot point to operate ou both wheels at the saine time, trom Whichever end of the car it is operated. Y

The upper end of the brake J is provided with a rope, K, one end of which is passed through. each end ofthe casing B, and then through the' end of thecar, so that the brake can be operated from either end.

In the general construction of' the car on the prinAd ciple of my invention, I' am able to operate withaniueh lighter car, to dispense with one rail inan ordinary railroad, to convey ou a plane, or onan ascending grade, a greater burthen thanI can be conveyed in any other way with the saine amount efforce.

Having thus fully described my invention,

What I claim as new, and desire tolsecure by Letters Patent, is

I. A street-railroad car, having centrally-located wheels, and the double-acting brake pivoted as shown, said brake operated through cords K K, or equivalent devices arranged in either end ofthe car, to be within reach of the driver, all substantially as specified.

2. In combination with the car A and its centrally placed double flanged wheels C C, the employment of t-wo or more flangeless wheels D D, shaft or shafts' l, bars E E, and springs G G, or their respective equivalents, whereby a` street-car is run upon a single line of rail, while the outer wheels rest upon the earth, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, this 18th day ot' October,

MAHLON P.' TURNER- [n s] Witnesses:

Gines H. TURNER, 1). J'. GUE. 

